Premier League debutant Josh Rock has attributed his 6-2 quarter-final loss to Michael van Gerwen in Antwerp to an unusual culprit: soapy hands from a pre-match toilet visit.
The Northern Irishman said the soap in the backstage facilities stripped the oils from his fingers, preventing him from gripping his darts properly. 'I just could not feel it at all,' he explained, adding that he now carries chalk and wax as a backup.
Rock confirmed it was the first time this had happened, but laughed off the incident, noting he knew the problem immediately. 'If I played like that and didn’t know what the problem was then, obviously we have an issue.'
He now prepares to face Luke Humphries in Glasgow on Thursday, hoping to secure his first points of the season. As a Rangers fan, Rock joked that he hopes Celtic’s Europa League match will keep rival supporters away.
